1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a game assembly and more particularly a puzzle type structure which is hand manipulated to the extent of selectively positioning one or a group of a plurality of pieces into a predetermined or cooperative relation to one another as each of the pieces are movable along the length of a track structure. The puzzle may be solved by arranging all of the pieces of a particular grouping in cooperative relation to one another after such pieces have been intermixed with other such pieces of contrasting designations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Games especially in the forms of puzzles of the type incorporating a number of pieces to be arranged into a predetermined array have been popular for many years and have enjoyed increasing popularity in recent times. The aforementioned increased popularity is due in large part to hand manipulatable puzzles wherein the entire puzzle assembly structure or base must be manipulated, as well as any of the pieces comprising the puzzle, to accomplish arranging the aforementioned pieces in the aforementioned arrays. The "Rubiks Cube" is an example of a puzzle structure of the type set forth above that has increased the interest of the public and the consumer demand for puzzle structures of this type.
One reason for the popularity of this type of puzzle structure is the fact that the puzzle does not have a single solution but rather what appears to be an infinite number of solutions in the attempt to solve the puzzle by arranging a plurality of groups of pieces into cooperative arrays determined by contrasting surface designations such as matching colors, etc. Further, each of the pieces are manipulatable by the hand of the user in effect by manipulating a plurality of other interconnected pieces.
Due to the aforementioned increased popularity there is a demand in the toy industry for puzzles of the type set forth above wherein a plurality of pieces are each moved and selectively positionable into and out of a predetermined array and further wherein the movement of any one piece directly affects or forces the movement of one or more other pieces thereby increasing the difficulty of problem solving.